Russian History - Uprising of the Decembrists on the Senate Square
The first half of the 19th century in Russia was characterized by revolutionary movement development. The progressive gentry expected that Alexander I would continue his liberal reforms, which he had started during the first years of his reign. However, the politics of the government pursued after the patriotic war of 1812 aroused their indignation. The first Russian revolutionaries were the Decembrists, the representatives of the gentry whose revolutionary movement was based on the high morals, the ideas of honor, dignity and freedom. The Decembrists set up secret societies whose aim was to abolish the serfdom and adopt the Constitution. The death of Alexander I in November 1825 served as the signal to the conspirators to start active actions. The Decembrists decided to present their demands on the day of giving the oath to Nicholas I. On December 14, 1825 3,000 rebels gathered on the Senate Square. However, their plans were disrupted and the uprising was suppressed. The rebels were exiled; their wives and sisters shared their destiny and followed them to Siberia.
